The recent heatwave has helped make Typhoon Soulik even more powerful as it heads towards the Korean mainland,... and the typhoon also has an unusual shape.
Our Kim Da-mi reports.

Typhoon Soulik, as well as being powerful, has a rare 'donut' shape.

Typhoons generally have a spiral structure, but occasionally, a large eye forms in the middle of the typhoon, giving it the shape of a donut.

Clouds surround the typhoon’s large, circular eye, making this donut shape visible.
These so-called 'Donut Typhoons' are extremely rare, making up just one or two percent of all typhoons.

As well as it's larger-than-normal eye, Typhoon Soulik is also more powerful than normal due to the extreme heat this summer.
The sea temperature right now is around 28 degrees Celsius, two to three degrees warmer than when Typhoon Gonpas hit in 2010.
The high sea temperature helps the typhoon maintain its power as it moves up the peninsula.
On top of that, Typhoon Cimaron, which is heading for Japan, is just as strong as the current typhoon, and is on its way to catch Typhoon Soulik.
When the two storms meet, they further develop by rotating against each other in a counterclockwise direction… in a phenomenon known as the Fujiwhara Effect.
Fortunately weather experts say, the Korean peninsula won't be directly affected by Typhoon Cimaron, nor the Fujiwhara effect.
Kim Da-mi, Arirang News.